Better Late Than Never
by Cardboard Cutouts
Summary: Seven years ago, Luke made Guy promise something. Now, everyone's REALLY starting to wish Guy would hold up that promise. Will he, before Luke does something irreversible? Contains Nonsexual Spanking
1. A Promise Made

**Better Late Than Never  
Chapter One: A Promise Made**

**---**

_Alright, so Guy's comments on how he feels it's his fault Luke turned out the way he did had me thinking...obviously, Luke wasn't disciplined too much as a kid, and obviously Guy was a bit too soft-hearted and didn't help with that. This lead me to thinking...you know, at the beginning of the game, here and there I really couldn't help but think Luke could use a spanking. I mean, really, he got scolded every now and then, but __really, someone seriously needed to beat some sense into that kid.  
_

_And then I got myself thinking...once all is said and done, even when Luke's willing to change, he's got a lot of guilt, and he's still bound to mess up a lot...really, if someone disciplined him, no it wouldn't fix everything, but it would help him a bit. One idea lead to another, and well now...now we have this.  
_

_...right, now that I feel like a pervert. This fic is not meant to be sexual in any way, although there might be a bit of Guy/Luke...yeah, okay. If either Guy/Luke or spanking is really not your thing, I'd highly suggest you steer clear._

**Warnings: Corporal punishment be mentioned and happening later on... and possibly Guy/Luke, or at least hinting at it. If either of those bother you, by all means, leave.  
**

---

It had started out simply enough, really. Ten-year old Luke fon Fabre had just returned from his bath, looking clean, warm, and quite pink at the cheeks in his pajamas, and of course the then fourteen-year old Guy had been charged with the task of getting the little scamp to bed.

Of course, this task was never easy, and the decently long game of "tag-you're-it-because-if-Guy-catches-me-I'll-have-to-go-to-bed" that proceeded Luke finally settling down was one Guy had long become used to. However, finally the boy seemed to have grown tired of ducking behind his curtains and weaving around furniture, and with a loud yawn the redhead unceremoniously plopped down on the floor.

Guy let out a laugh as he reached down and scooped the boy up. "Looks like someone's ready for bed." He said with a grin. At ten, Luke was still small enough that this wasn't much trouble for Guy, something that the blond couldn't help but marvel at.

Luke pouted. "No I'm not!" He exclaimed...but the yawn following these words seemed to say otherwise.

The blond chuckled. "Uh huh, sure. Come on, let's get you in bed." With that, he began to make the short journey across the rather messy room, stepping over various stuffed animals and other toys. It was childish...but Guy supposed this was one of the few perks of Luke's amnesia. While the boy's body was that of a ten-year old, his mind was far younger...and though it seemed kind of selfish, Guy preferred this to the snobby, "I don't need you but play with me anyway since you're my babysitter" air the boy had carried before his kidnapping. It was something he couldn't help but enjoy...the feeling of this tiny, innocent little life needing him like this.

Luke bore his journey to the bed in silence for a moment...then quite suddenly opened his mouth and asked the question that would turn the entire evening upside down: "Guy, what's a spanking?"

Guy paused in his walk, blinking. "Wha?" He glanced down at Luke.

"What's a spanking?" The boy repeated, blinking innocently.

"A spanking?" Guy repeated, brow furrowing.

"Yeah! I heard the maids talking about it while they were giving me my bath!" Luke said with a grin, bouncing in Guy's arms. "One of them was saying their daughter had taken something from the kitchen, and then the other one was all 'that's the third time this week!' and she was all 'I know, and you'd better believe she'll be getting a sound spanking once we're done!'"

Guy winced. "Huh. Well, that explains why Rose seemed so cross...and why her daughter didn't feel like sitting down..."

"What happened to her?" Luke asked, cocking his head to the side.

Guy scratched his head as he looked down at Luke, feeling a slight blush come to his face. How could Luke be so cute when they were discussing such an awkward subject? "Um...well, she did something bad, so..." The blond trailed off, then sighed and shook his head. "Look, don't worry about it, okay? You'll probably never experience it."

Luke huffed. "Why not!?"

"Because you..." Guy trailed off, frowning. "Just...look, it doesn't matter, alright?"

"Yes it does!" Luke pouted. "It's not fair, I want one!"

"What!?" The blond sputtered, eyes widening.

"I want a spanking!" The redhead declared, crossing his arms before him. "It's not fair that everyone else gets one and I don't!"

"Gah...Luke, you don't _want _to get one!" Guy cried, slapping his forehead with his free hand. He forgot...when it came to Luke not knowing anything, he _really _didn't know anything!

"Why not!?" Luke demanded.

"B-because...it's a punishment, alright?" The blond muttered, allowing his hand to slid down his face and flop back to his side for a moment before reaching up to support Luke's weight again.

"...A punishment?" The redhead repeated, sounding confused.

Guy sighed and scratched his head. "Yeah...like when you do something bad, so there's a consequence for it."

"Conse...conse...what?" Luke stumbled over the word.

The blond gave another sigh and set the redhead down. "Look, it's like this, alright?" He began, kneeling down at Luke's eye level. "When a kid does something that could get them hurt or say something mean or something like that...that's a bad thing, right?" Luke nodded enthusiastically. "Well, the kid's parents don't want that kid to get hurt...so they have to make sure they don't do it again, you know? So...they punish them." Luke's brow furrowed, confusion evident on his face.

"Punish?"

"Yeah...like they might take away something the kid really likes for awhile, or they might send them to their room or give them a time-out." Guy shrugged as he stood again.

Luke frowned. "That doesn't sound fun!" He said.

"'Well, no, it isn't. It isn't supposed to be, it's supposed to keep the kid from doing it again." Guy stated.

"Oh..." Luke nodded, though he was still frowning. "Then what's spanking?"

"Spanking is..." Guy trailed off for a moment, then sunk down in a nearby chair. "Well, the parent will sit like this...then they'll take the kid and lay them over their lap..." The blond gestured. "And then..."

"Then what?"

"Well...they hit their bottom. Repeatedly, until that kid is crying and is damn sorry they ever did whatever it was they did." Guy said, crossing his arms and nodding.

Luke's eyes widened. "They hit them!? That's mean!" He cried.

"No, no...it's not like that, Luke." Guy shook his head. "I mean, it sounds bad, but--"

"But it must hurt a lot!"

"Well, yeah." The blond nodded. "Of course it does...and it's not like the parent _wants _to hurt their kid...but, well, if they don't, the kid will never learn. Then they might go on to do even worse stuff and get really hurt, you know?"

Luke was silent for a moment, appearing thoughtful. "Nope." He finally said bluntly.

"Well...look at it this way Luke. Say a person falls in front of a horse or something like that, and someone else pulls them out of the way...but to do so they kind of have to twist the other person's arm a bit. It hurts, yeah, but if that didn't happen, something much worse would...and if you really care for someone, sometimes you have to do things like that." Guy explained.

The ten-year old frowned. "So...it's...actually a nice thing?"

Guy frowned as well. "Well...I suppose it is. You'd have to really, really love someone to be willing to do that."

His charge nodded, still appearing thoughtful. "Guy?" The boy glanced up to his babysitter again. "Did your parents ever spank you when you were little?"

Guy felt his heart twist at those words. He gazed down at those innocent green eyes, that cute little nose, the tiny mouth beneath it, so unaware of the painful words it was spewing. He stared down at that red hair, so close to the color of flames...brighter than the blooded color of the one behind Hod's demise. The face was so alike the one he hated, the one who took everything from him...he wanted nothing more than to smash it inwards, nothing more than to destroy that smile, than to take the light from those eyes forever...

"Yeah...they did..." The blond trailed off, gazing darkly as if staring at something ugly that didn't belong in the happy, colorful room. "They did..."

"Guy?"

He wanted to destroy that voice... and yet...he didn't. Something strange twisted within him, flinching at his own harsh thoughts. _This boy is innocent._whispered. _This boy is innocent and he needs you. _

"Guy?" Luke repeated, tugging at Guy's sleeve.

Guy shook his head, forcing a smile to his face again. He would have to let those voices fight it out...but not today. "Sorry...yeah, they did spank me...only because they really loved me, though. I'm glad they did...it hurt then, but it showed they really...cared." He said, struggling to keep his voice from cracking.

"Really cared..." Luke frowned thoughtfully for another moment. "Guy?"

"Yeah?" The blond asked without really paying attention. He was lost somewhere else, a place that had vanished long before Luke could remember.

"Guy...would you spank me?"

THAT snapped Guy out of it. The blond blinked, staring at Luke with wide eyes. "What?"

"Would you spank me?" The boy asked. "No one ever...I want..." He bit his lip and blushed as he looked away.

This time _Guy really_smiled and reached down to ruffle Luke's hair. "Aww...Luke, I could never spank you. You're a good kid."

"No!" The boy shook off Guy's hand, backing up a few steps as he glared up at the blond. "I-I...I want to be cared for like you were!"

His babysitter stared down at him, blinking. "What are you talking about, Luke? I already _do _care for you." Guy said.

Luke shook his head again. "No!" He stomped his foot. "I want what _you_, what everyone else had! I want _that_!"

"But..." Guy trailed off, scratching his head and chuckling. "I'm not sure if you know what you're asking for, Luke."

"I do." Luke said calmly, his childish face one of determination, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "And I want you to." Big words, for such a small child...but it was clear Luke was serious.

Guy frowned. "Well..." Technically, yes, Luke's father had given Guy permission to punish Luke if he needed to...but Guy had never felt the need to. He always felt Luke deserved some slack since he was just a kid...and strangely enough, though he had once thought he would jump at the chance for this sort of thing...now, the idea of hurting the boy in any way just seemed awful.

"Please, Guy?"

The blond was silent for a moment...then finally he gave a sigh. "Fine. If you ever_do_ anything to deserve something like...a spanking, well, I'll give it to you." He muttered.

Luke stared at him for a moment. "Promise?"

"...Promise." He doubted it would ever come to that anyway.

The redhead beamed and clapped his hands. "Yay! Guy really cares about me!" He cheered, running around in circles.

Guy chuckled and shook his head. "You sure are a weird kid..."

"Am not!" Luke shot back, pausing in his running to stick out his tongue.

The blond laughed, putting his hands on his hips. "Whatever you say, Master. Now then...I think it's about time you got to bed, you've dilly-dallyed long enough."

Luke blinked. "Bed?" He repeated, looking confused. Clearly, he had already forgotten.

"That's right." Guy nodded and walked over to Luke, ushering him in the right direction. "Time for bed, buddy."

"Awwww!" Luke pouted, digging his heels into the carpeted floor. "But I wanted to stay up!"

"After you were so tired just a bit ago? I think not!" Guy laughed, giving Luke a gentle push. "Come on, into bed with you."

"But I don't wanna!" Luke whined, his lower lip jutting out as he fought against Guy's insistent hand on his back.

"Hey, hey, no fighting!" Guy said, though his eyes were twinkling. "You know what happens to kids like that?"

"What?" Luke huffed even as he struggled.

"They get_spanked_!" At this the blond gave the boy a light swat on the seat of his pants, not enough to hurt in the least. It was enough to propel the boy forward with a light yelp, however, followed by a giggle. "Yeah, that's right, you little monster! Get in bed!" Guy said with a grin, pointing to the bed. "Unless you want some more."

"No, nooooo!" Luke cried through fits of giggles. His tiny feet pattered across the floor and he leaped onto the bed, still laughing. "I'm in bed, see?"

"I can see that." Guy said with a grin, walking over and pulling back the covers so Luke could snuggle beneath them. "Good boy." He murmured. "Now how about a story, since you seem pretty darn awake?"

"Yaaay!"

Several storybooks later, Luke was finally fast asleep, his face the sort that would make angels jealous. Guy gave a sigh as he closed the book and slid it back on the shelf, his eyes never straying from his charge. "You'd never guess he was such a rascal when he was awake..." The blond muttered, standing and stretching. He paused to gaze down at Luke for a moment, then reached out to stroke the boy's hair, crimson locks twisting through calloused fingers.

"...I already care for you more than I should...I don't think I could bring myself to take that smile from you." The blond murmured, his expression sad. With that, he turned and left the room.

Guy assumed that would be the end of it. Luke's attention didn't stay on one subject very long, and the promise was never discussed again...

...Maybe that had been the problem.

---

**To Be Continued...**

_Not sure if I should continue this or not...anyone interested?_**  
**


	2. Early Signs

**Better Late Than Never**

**Chapter Two: Early Signs**

**---**

_  
Yaaay, I got some positive feedback. This makes me happy._

_Well, I got a bit set back by the holidays, but I managed to get this done. I know these first few chapters have been short, but I promise they'll get longer as we get into the main part of the story. Ah well, this part is still a bit important, soo...yeah._

_This takes place somewhere between Coral Castle and Kiatzur port, I believe. Either way, it's somewhere in Luke's first journey from Tataroo Valley home...yay for spoiled, bratty long-haired Luke! X3_

_Anyway, on with the fic!  
_  
---  
**  
**Seven years passed, and Luke fon Fabre was no longer exactly what one would call "cute". Oh, his face still retained some baby fat, in spite of his attempts to get rid of it, and his eyes still occasionally shown with childish innocence, but it was clear he was trying to shed this youthful image. He had even allowed his red hair to grow out long and somewhat shaggy, to the point where it reached his lower back, in an obvious attempt to appear to appear more grown up.

"Argh, this is such a pain!"

Really though, it was all the complaining and whining that had killed the cuteness.

Luke paused to take a breath, panting heavily as he leaned against a tree. Gloved hands curled against the rough bark as his body heaved, sweat beading on his brow. "Damnit, would you guys slow down!?" He called out "Ugh, I keep getting junk on my coat, too..." The noble grumbled, tugging at the trench coat-like tails of his white jacket, which were now quite dirty.

"Weren't_ you_ the one who was yelling at us to hurry up earlier? Not to mention the one who denied taking a coach." Tear Grants was struggling to keep the irritation out of her voice, but the day had been long, so she really wasn't trying as hard as she could have. She scowled as she brushed some of her long, light brown hair hair from her eyes and adjusted her Oracle Knight uniform. She knew she had been the one to agree to escort Luke home originally, it was her fault he was on an entirely different continent, after all, but the boy could be so frustrating sometimes!

"Indeed he was." Jade tsked from up front, hardly appearing the least bit disheveled in his blue Malkuth military uniform. "It was rather rude, I must say, urging these old bones on like that."

"...Colonel, you're not even breaking a sweat." Anise observed, putting her hands on her hips and huffing as she shook a few leaves from her black pigtails. Her pink uniform was dirty as well, though the beaten up, somewhat ratty yellow stuffed animal on her back that acted as her weapon remained mostly clean, it's mismatched button eyes and eerie grin beaming up at her. She was far younger than the rest, and though she was doing her best to hide it, it was clear her little girl body was having trouble keeping up.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Anise." The bespectacled fonist drawled, a slight smirk dancing across his pale face as amusement danced in his red eyes. "Why, I've been suffering horribly throughout this entire ordeal, my body is terribly frail."

"Uh huh, I'm sure it is." Guy rolled his eyes, then glanced back at Luke. He seemed tired as well, but was doing his best to remain cheerful, if only to ensure there wouldn't be anymore arguments breaking out amongst their mismatched group. His spiky blond hair stuck up every which way, orange vest and white collared shirt a bit torn from various battles on their way. "You alright, Luke?" He asked, brow furrowing in concern as he looked back to his charge. "I know you're not used to all this walking..."

Luke scowled. "I'm fine!" He snapped, pushing himself up and stomping past his servant and originall. "The faster we walk, the sooner we finally get me back home, right? So let's go already!" The boy declared. His sudden tough front was upset as his foot caught a root, however, sending the redhead crashing to the ground with a yelp and a '_thud_!'

"You know...if you weren't that clumsy on a regular basis, I'd say that was a sign of tiredness." Guy chuckled, kneeling down and offering Luke a gloved hand.

The redhead huffed as he reluctantly took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. He did not thank Guy, electing instead he just grumbled for a few seconds before shoving past him. Guy blinked, then shrugged and followed. There really wasn't much he could say to thank, after seven years he was well used to Luke's attitude and had just learned to shrug it off.

"You know, I hate to agree with Luke's whining, but Ion, you're looking really tired..." Anise said, glancing back at the frail boy she'd been leading and taking his arm to keep him from experiencing the same fall Luke had. The boy stumbled, his long green hair and Fon Master uniform swaying with the motion, but managed to stay on his feet.

"I-I'm fine, Anise, really. There's no need to worry about me." Ion reassured her, a tured smile flashing across his pale face.

Anise huffed, eyes narrowing as she rounded on him. "No you're not! You look you're about to pass out! You should have told us that we were moving too fast for you!" She scolded.

"Yes, I'm certain we would have had no trouble getting _some of us_toslow down." Tear said, pausing to glare at Luke.

"S-shut up!" Luke snapped, though his anger quickly melted as he looked to the thirteen year-old boy. For all of his snapping, for some reason Luke couldn't bring himself to not be nice to the kid. "She's right though, Ion...if you were tired, you should have said something."

The green-haired boy blushed at the sudden rise in attention. "I-I'm fine, really."

Jade tsked as he walked back towards the group, arms behind his back in a dignified manner. "It's rather unbecoming of a Fon Master to lie, you know. Why, you'll be setting a poor example for the other children of the group." He said.

"Hey!" Anise pouted, her cheeks puffing up. "I am _not _a child!"

"You misunderstand, Anise, I was referring to Luke." Jade drawled, adjusting his glasses with gloved fingers.

"Hey!"

"At any rate, tempers are running high and it seems the Fon Master is about ready to collapse." The military commander continued, completely ignoring Luke's outburst. "So I suppose we may as well set up camp here."

The rest of the group all gave murmurs of agreement, most of them failing to keep the relief from their faces. Immediately they all set down their various packs and supplies, as the clearing they found themselves in seemed suitable enough for camp. After they'd all settled a bit, roles were assigned for helping to set up camp.

"Luke, how about you go get some firewood?" Tear asked as she and Anise looked through what food they had left, the younger girl making a face as she held out a piece of sketchy-looking chicken.

"Firewood?" Luke groaned from the ground, his arms folded behind his head as he cracked open one green eye. "Why do I have to?"

"Because if you don't, dinner isn't getting cooked and we'll freeze to death." Tear stated, putting her hands on her hips. "Go on, you've spent all day doing nothing but complain, the least you can do is help."

The redhead rolled his eyes and sat up. "You don't have to nag, ugh." He grumbled as he got to his feet, flipping locks of fiery red over his shoulder. "I'm going, I'm going...Lorelei, this such a damn pain..." The boy's grumbles could be heard trailing behind him as he made his way into the woods, stomping extra loudly just so everyone got the message.

Guy sighed from where he was setting up tents. "Are you sure it's a good idea to send him off alone like that? Maybe I should..."

"He'll be fine, it's not like he'll have to go very far." Tear said simply. "Besides, the work would do him some good." The blond frowned, looking somewhat worried, but went back to work. Honestly, he wasn't sure why the tents had to be some damn complicated, and the diagram really was doing nothing to help...

Jade gazed thoughtfully at the area where Luke had disappeared to, saying nothing for awhile. Finally, he spoke up. "You know, where I come from, his sort of attitude would earn him a good lashing." He commented, quirking a brow as he looked to Guy.

"Yeah?" Guy huffed as he unfolded one of the tents "Well, Luke isn't in your military, now is he?"

"I wasn't referring to the military, although I won't refrain from saying that he would benefit from _that_ as well." Jade said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. "I was referring to my hometown and how they dealt with unruly children."

"Really now?" The blond said, quirking a brow and frowning. He wasn't sure he liked where this conversation was heading. Luke acted a bit like an unruly child, that much Guy would admit, but why should it matter to him?

"Indeed."

"That's interesting." Guy muttered through gritted teeth as he fought with one of the wires. "And why should I care?"

"Oh, no reason, really. I just thought that seeing how he is apparently your charge, perhaps you would benefit from some advice." The Fonist said with a small smirk.

Guy's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Jade rolled his eyes. "Oh come now, it's simple. It's become rather clear by now that the child is a spoiled, unruly brat. I really could care less, but it's evident that _you_ do, so perhaps it's time you learned to incorporate a bit of discipline." He shrugged.

The blond released his grip on the tent he'd been struggling with, the stubborn thing collapsing in a pile of wires and cloth. Guy then turned, eyes narrowing as he gaped at Jade for a moment. "...Are you telling me to _spank_ Luke?" He exclaimed disbelievingly, eyes wide.

"My, you actually_ can_ understand something without having it be spelled out for you, I'm impressed." Jade muttered dryly.

Guy snorted as he gathered up the pieces of the tent again. "Since when was 'Child Rearing Expert' included on your resume?"

Jade tsked, putting a hand to his forehead. "I may not consider myself that, but even _I_ can see where discipline is needed, and in the case of that boy, it is sorely, _sorely_ needed."

The blond gave a sigh. "He's only a kid, Jade. Besides, he's had it rough, so I try to cut him some slack." He said, scratching his head. "I mean...he had ammesia when he was ten and we had to reteach him everything, and then his parents would never let him leave the manor, for Lorelei's sake."

"Perhaps he _has_ had it rough." Jade said, adjusting his glasses. "But one _can_ have too much leniency... and the results of that can prove fatal in the real world." He fixed Guy with a meaningful stare, crimson eyes narrowing.

"...Well, _I _for one think Luke will be fine, and you have no business telling me how to take care of him." Guy said, nodding, though his sapphire eyes blazed defiantly. "I think I'm handling him just fine... besides, this little adventure seems to already be changing him for the better."

"Perhaps...or perhaps you are wrong." Jade shrugged and turned away. "Regardless... were he under my command, I assure you I would have found more uses for the cane military officers are issued than I'd thought possible."

Guy stared at Jade's back for a moment, eyes narrowing as his fingers tightened absently on the tent. "...Well, it's fortunate that you're not the one in that position, now isn't it?" He replied.

Jade shrugged again. "I suppose that depends on your point of view, doesn't it?" With that, he walked away.

Guy was left standing there with a half-assembled tent, brow furrowing. That had seemed...rather odd, especially for Jade. He knew Luke could act pretty wild sometimes, but they'd all been able to call Luke on it before anything really bad had happened...it wasn't like he could be blamed, the boy had never set foot outside his manor before. Besides, Luke was learning...not terribly fast, but he was learning. So why on earth was Jade commenting? It wasn't like him to even care, from what Guy had seen of him over the past few weeks spent traveling with him.

The blond sighed, then shook his head. It wasn't like it mattered anyway, once they got back to Baticul they wouldn't be seeing Jade or any of these people again...it really didn't matter what they thought. He knew Luke best, and he felt things were just fine. Luke was Luke...who were these people to comment on that when they knew nothing? Things were fine.

...Weren't they? Guy glanced up at the rest of the campsite to see Luke had returned and was now complaining to Ion, whom was laughing even as the others ignored them. Watching Ion's laughter turn Luke's frown into an involuntary smile was enough to put one on Guy's face too, even if the moment was ruined seconds later by Jade commenting and a typical fight ensuing. The blond shook his head, then went back to working on the tents.

It was only when Luke snapped at Jade that Guy realized:

"Hey! Damnit Jade, you were supposed to help me with these tents!"

Jade gave a gasp. "Me? You expect an old man like _me_ to be helping with the tents!?"

"You're not that old, Colonel." Anise pointed out, but went ignored.

"Honestly Guy, I would never expect you of all people to be capable of such heartlessness..." Jade continued dramatically, grasping at his chest.

"As opposed to the sort of stuff_ you're_ capable of?" Luke snorted.

Jade turned to Luke, his expression one of mock outrage. "Indeed, Luke! It's not nice to leave all the work to Guy like that!"

"W-what?"Luke sputtered. "B-but I didn't...what does that have to do with--"

Anise smirked as she joined in. "Yeah, honestly Luke, what are you doing sitting here on your ass!? Get up and help!"

The redhead scowled. "I already helped with the firewood!" He snapped, folding his arms and huffing.

As the group proceeded to dissolve into a flurry of bickering, all Guy could do was shake his head and laugh as he went back to working on the tent by himself. Yes, Luke was spoiled, but he was a good person at heart, Guy knew that much. He was still Luke... and that was what mattered, right?

Yes, surely, that was what mattered. Besides, it wasn't like Luke's attitude would cause any _major_ trouble... right?

---  
**  
To Be Continued...  
**


End file.
